1. Field
The present invention is directed to providing instant message notifications and, more particularly, to assigning requests to providers using instant message notifications.
2. Description of the Related Art
An estimated 867 million instant messaging accounts existed at the end of 2005, more than 13.9 billion instant messages are sent each day and management of AOL® Instant Messenger (AIM®)) estimates its users are logged on to AIM® more than six hours per day. By the year 2009, there are expected to be 1.9 billion instant messenger accounts and 46.5 billion instant messages sent per day.
As instant exchange of information increases, instant messaging services such as MSN® Messenger, AOL® Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ®, Google® Talk and other instant messaging services are becoming widespread as a preferred medium of communication. Although functionality of instant messaging clients varies among service providers, typical instant messaging clients are accessed using a subscriber screen name or other identification (ID) information of subscribers and allow the subscribers to maintain a contact or a “buddy” list of other subscribing users to which the subscribers may send messages. A subscriber is alerted whenever any one of the users in the “buddy” list is online and may initiate a chat session with the particular user(s) online. Typically instant messaging services are used for personal interaction between two or more subscribers of an instant messaging service.
The combination of real-time communication similar to that offered by the telephone with the anonymity of the Internet has made instant messaging technologies a viable venue for social networks. The widespread use of instant messaging for communication among users in social networks has led to development of various technologies that enable instant messaging across various platforms of text- or speech-based devices such as desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, telephones, smart phones and personal digital assistants. However, current social networks are limited to personal interactions among restricted communities.
Although instant messaging is known for establishing real-time personal communication between users, there is no known way of assigning requests to service providers using these services.